Culture, ethics, and compliance are critical parts of today’s management and leadership practices. Maintaining a strict code of conduct and compliance polices can go a long way in helping to prevent conflict between international organizations and their employees. However, sometimes an employee’s customs and culture can create unintentional conflict between departments and organizations.
Below you will find two different scenarios that involve conflicts within a multinational organization. Choosing one scenario, discuss how the conflict might be resolved, and assess the role of the manager or leader in resolving the international conflicts.
Scenario 1
You are the department manager for a team that is located within the United States and Japan. Your team members work together on several different projects, and they often provide product demonstrations for various clients. Today, you have decided to sit in on a product demonstration led by June, a young female employee from the United States, and Haru, a middle-aged male employee from Japan. During the demonstration, you notice there seems to be a conflict between Haru and June, which is affecting the demonstration. June is trying to discuss her experience with the product and answer questions raised by the client. However, Haru seems to be upset by June’s discussion, and he keeps interrupting her.
Scenario 2
You are tasked with opening a new office located in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. You meet with the local manager and are told that there is a problem. The building inspectors are running 3–6 months behind and your move-in date will be delayed until the office can be inspected. However, the manager suggest that the inspection could be expedited if the inspector was given a generous donation. When you protest, the manager explains that donations are the way business is done here. If you pay, you could move in, as scheduled around the first of the month. Otherwise, you will have to go back to the United States and plan to return in about six months, just to be safe.
To prepare for this Discussion, pay particular attention to the following Learning Resources:
· Review this week’s Learning Resources, especially:
· Chapter 7 Interests, Rights, and Power – See Attachment
· Managing Social Conflict – https://youtu.be/jyFYcQkduco
· The Clash of Worldview – https://youtu.be/tmovQqMIjxc
Cahn, D. D., & Abigail, R. A. (2014). Managing conflict through communication (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
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Assignment:
Post a cohesive response based on your analysis of the Learning Resources and your professional experience. Be sure to discuss the following:
· Select Scenario 1 or Scenario 2 as the basis for this Discussion. Then, evaluate the cultural factors that you believe contributed to the conflict between the employees. What roles do you think the manager should play in resolving the conflict?
· How can the Interests, Rights, and Power model help resolve the conflict presented? Outline how you would apply this model within the given scenario.
· What steps would you take to resolve this conflict? What changes would you make to ensure future conflicts are minimized?
· Discuss the possible challenges you foresee with implementing these changes and how you might overcome them.